As we approach mid-year there are about a dozen cities and counties in the Golden State that will be increasing their minimum wage for employers that operate within their jurisdictions. The state minimum wage is currently $15 an hour for employers with 26 or more workers, and $14 an hour for all other smaller employers, […]
As climate change continues to create more turbulent weather and natural catastrophes, commercial property insurance rates are still climbing — and the recent surge in inflation is adding fuel to the cost of coverage. While overall commercial property rates increased about 10% on average in 2021, rates surged between 25% and 40% in areas prone […]
One of the keys to keeping the costs of a workers’ compensation claim from spiraling out of control is prompt claims reporting. Claims are routinely filed late, either by the injured worker who fails to report it to the employer, or the employer dawdling or procrastinating and not reporting the claim to its insurer. Either […]
The more employees are working from home, the greater the risk that their employers’ sensitive date is also being stored on their poorly secured devices and laptops. A new study by Symantec Corp. found many employees are sharing, moving and exposing sensitive company data as part of carrying out the requirements of their jobs, and […]
Engulfment risks are some of the most overlooked hazards in agricultural operations. The most common types of engulfment hazards are in grain silos, where a worker can quickly become trapped and buried by a sudden flow of grain. But there are also a number of engulfment hazards besides grain silos. Workers can also be engulfed […]
Construction firms are reeling from snowballing costs of building materials due to spiking demand and supply chain snarls that are resulting in massive budget cost overruns. This is especially affecting construction businesses that are managing apartment or commercial projects. These cost overruns are imperiling profits — and risking red ink — on the projects after […]
As we get closer to another scorching California summer, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers with outdoor workers to take precautions to protect them against the heat. California employers need to be especially mindful as Cal/OSHA has workplace safety regulations governing the prevention of heat illness and the agency actively enforces its heat illness prevention standard. Employers […]
Cal/OSHA has issued new language that amends its current COVID-19 emergency temporary standard and pushes back the expiration date of the ETS until the end of the year. The extension of the ETS comes as Cal/OSHA pushes ahead on creating a permanent airborne infectious disease prevention standard for general industry, which is expected to be […]
California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau is recommending that benchmark workers’ compensation rates for all class codes in the state increase an average of 7.6%. The proposal comes as the economy heats up and, typically during times of growth, workplace injuries also increase. The recommendation, if approved by the state insurance commissioner, would affect all […]
More employers are using return-to-work programs for injured workers even if they were not injured on the job, according to a study by Prudential Insurance Co. of America. Many employers have a return-to-work program for their injured employees because it cuts down on workers’ comp claims costs and lets the worker get back to feeling […]